Week 5 Revisited: The Last Nerative!

Living in Maine you'd think I'd be used to the snow, or at least other people would be used to the snow. But no, I don't think anyone really gets used to it; this year especially. I guess I can't really, honestly blame people for having a little difficulty. I mean with the warm breezy winter that seemed more like spring than the real season it's supposed to be then BAM! At least six inches of snow all in one night! I'm sure I joined the majority of the north east in muttering while I cleaned off my car after the first snow fall and a Sunfire isn't exactly the best car in the snow, look at it's name for heavens sake!

Still I don't think the first snow is an excuse to drive like the road is about to fall out from under you or like a mad man. Take this instance for example: I was driving in to work during one of the more active snow events and I was running late, the drive to my apartment complex having turned to a semi-solid sludge which nearly prevented me from gaining an exit. Now I find myself behind a giant, red Ford truck. You know the ones that are two ton and have four rear wheels right? Well this guy was creeping along at ten miles under the limit while I'm constantly muttering under my breath 'c'mon!' as I mentally try to urge the guy to go just a whee bit faster. Seriously, with a truck like that he (or she) should be plowing right along like this little white out was another spring morning; my fingers began to drum a rapid beat out along the edge of my steering wheel while I tried to focus more on the gloomy financial forecast on NPR other than the fact my boss was going to have me for proverbial lunch when I got in.

This of course eeked out for an agonizing ten minutes (I did get to finish he NPR show though, kind of a silver lining there) with my 'lead blocker' trucking along the now well salted and gravel laden roads but still at a fraction of the speed they could have been safely going. I actually think at one point there was a person jogging that was out pacing us....or that could have just been my own imagination making things worse than they really are. And then....the truck is gone! Turned left to head towards Orono or some other place away and out of my way. This at first brings a sense of relief or even, dare I say, jubilation! That is until I glance at the clock and my heart just sinks. Five minutes passed the hour already..my boss is going to kill me! Freed from my oppressive lead driver I sped away.

"You're late." is all my boss says as I walk through the door. All I can do is furrow my brown and mutter "I know."